When The Hole Was
Nearly Full, A Skin Was Laid Over The Goods, And On This Earth
Was Thrown And
Beaten down, until, with the addition of the sod
first removed, the whole was on a level with the ground,
And there remained not the slightest appearance of an excavation.
In addition to this, we made another of smaller dimensions,
in which we placed all the baggage, some powder, and our
blacksmith's tools, having previously repaired such of the tools
as we carry with us that require mending. To guard against accident,
we had two parcelss of lead and powder in the two places.
The red pirogue was drawn up on the middle of a small island,
at the entrance of Maria's River, and secured, by being
fastened to the trees, from the effects of any floods.
We now took another observation of the meridian altitude
of the sun, and found that the mean latitude of Maria's River,
as deduced from three observations, is 49'0 25' 17.2" N."
In order to make assurance doubly sure, Captain Lewis resolved
to take four men with him and ascend the south branch (that is,
the true Missouri), before committing the expedition to that route
as the final one. His proposition was that his party should proceed
up the river as rapidly as possible in advance of the main party.
On the second day out, says the journal: -
"Captain Lewis left the bank of the river in order to avoid the steep ravines,
which generally run from the shore to the distance of one or two miles
in the plain.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 95 of 362
Words from 28884 to 29150
of 110166
